After watching the lack-lustre 2005 remake of Carpenter's "The Fog", I quickly ran to my nearest television set and inserted this DVD into my DVD player just so I can recall the days when horror film's were made without the over-use of annoying CGI.
This film (along with that other Carpenter film, whats-its-name?) is a testament to the fact that you do not need a $30 million dollar budget to create an effective scary ghost movie. There is no CGI here only talent, mood, a great location and a creepy story.
The story takes place in Antonio Bay. A depressingly gloomy but charming seaside town whose inhabitants become the victims of a thick, glowing fog carrying the angry ghosts of lepers who were killed in a shipwreck a century earlier. What makes this ghost story original in my opinion is that the ghosts depicted here are not transparent, floating phantasms that move objects and say "boo". They are walking dead guys, covered in rags, dripping in salt water and armed with knives, hooks, swords and possibly every other sharp, metallic object you can think of and simply slice up their unfortunate victims.
The cast is first-rate. The stand-out performer is Carpenter's then- wife, Adrienne Barbeau who plays Stevie Wayne. A sexy radio disc-jockey who becomes trapped inside a light-house while the rest of the cast seeks refuge in an old church outside of town. Scream-Queens Jamie Lee Curtis, Janet Leigh and Nancy Loomis co-star as the other luck-less female victims and put their screaming talents to good use. The legendary John Houseman makes a great cameo appearance in the opening sequence, setting the creepy tone and the man sure knows how to tell a tale. The great cast, the location, the creative fog effects and a simple yet effective Carpenter score all contribute in making this low- budget chiller a clear winner.
However, it should be stated that "The Fog" is not perfect. Despite a chilling first 20 minutes, the film takes its time in building its tension and therefore drags a bit. And even those who love this movie will admit that it's not as effective as Carpenter's "Halloween" and under close inspection, plot holes become too apparent. But us fans don't seem to care since we all know that this film is not intended to be taken too seriously. It's about a killer fog for crying out loud. Anyone approaching this for realism needs to re-evaluate their criteria for viewing horror movies since many of these genre films are simply made to entertain (and to scare the pants off you) and if you are a horror fan (like I am) you should find plenty to like here. By combining several different branches off the horror genre and using it to great effect, "The Fog" is a combination of such classics as "Halloween" and "Night of the Living Dead".
So forget all of this CGI stuff for a minute and see what a true horror movie should really be like. "The Fog" is simple yet deeply chilling and atmospheric. Follow it with Carpenter's ultimate classic (you know which movie I'm talking about) and double your pleasure.
There's a reason why this low-budget shocker is so beloved by fans of the genre. Recommended.
3.5 out of 5.
This film (along with that other Carpenter film, whats-its-name?) is a testament to the fact that you do not need a $30 million dollar budget to create an effective scary ghost movie. There is no CGI here only talent, mood, a great location and a creepy story.
The story takes place in Antonio Bay. A depressingly gloomy but charming seaside town whose inhabitants become the victims of a thick, glowing fog carrying the angry ghosts of lepers who were killed in a shipwreck a century earlier. What makes this ghost story original in my opinion is that the ghosts depicted here are not transparent, floating phantasms that move objects and say "boo". They are walking dead guys, covered in rags, dripping in salt water and armed with knives, hooks, swords and possibly every other sharp, metallic object you can think of and simply slice up their unfortunate victims.
The cast is first-rate. The stand-out performer is Carpenter's then- wife, Adrienne Barbeau who plays Stevie Wayne. A sexy radio disc-jockey who becomes trapped inside a light-house while the rest of the cast seeks refuge in an old church outside of town. Scream-Queens Jamie Lee Curtis, Janet Leigh and Nancy Loomis co-star as the other luck-less female victims and put their screaming talents to good use. The legendary John Houseman makes a great cameo appearance in the opening sequence, setting the creepy tone and the man sure knows how to tell a tale. The great cast, the location, the creative fog effects and a simple yet effective Carpenter score all contribute in making this low- budget chiller a clear winner.
However, it should be stated that "The Fog" is not perfect. Despite a chilling first 20 minutes, the film takes its time in building its tension and therefore drags a bit. And even those who love this movie will admit that it's not as effective as Carpenter's "Halloween" and under close inspection, plot holes become too apparent. But us fans don't seem to care since we all know that this film is not intended to be taken too seriously. It's about a killer fog for crying out loud. Anyone approaching this for realism needs to re-evaluate their criteria for viewing horror movies since many of these genre films are simply made to entertain (and to scare the pants off you) and if you are a horror fan (like I am) you should find plenty to like here. By combining several different branches off the horror genre and using it to great effect, "The Fog" is a combination of such classics as "Halloween" and "Night of the Living Dead".
So forget all of this CGI stuff for a minute and see what a true horror movie should really be like. "The Fog" is simple yet deeply chilling and atmospheric. Follow it with Carpenter's ultimate classic (you know which movie I'm talking about) and double your pleasure.
There's a reason why this low-budget shocker is so beloved by fans of the genre. Recommended.
3.5 out of 5.